A67927:1146
Acts and monuments of matters most special and memorable, happening in the Church. [vol.…Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol.…
Acts and monuments of matters most special and memorable, happening in the Church. [vol. 2, part 2] with an universal history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitive age to these latter times of ours, with the bloody times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions against the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperors, as now lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realm of England and Scotland. Newly revised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time again published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the help of Christ our Lord) John Fox, which desireth thee good reader to help him with thy prayer.Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 2] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.
London: printed by John Daye, 1583London: printed by Iohn Daye, 1583
No title page in the transcription: set from the catalogue record.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
For what other thing is it to be a Traitor unto the trueth, then to be a Traitor and a Judas unto Christ, which is the very truth and cause of all trueth?1 the which saith that whosoever denieth him here before men, he will deny him before his father in heaven. The which denying ought more to be feared and dread, then the loss of all temporal goods, honour, promotion, fame, prison, slander, hurts, banishments, and all manner of torments, and cruelties, yea, and death it self, be it never so shameful and painful. But alas, how little do men regard those sharp sayings of these two holy men? and how little do they fear the terrible judgement of almighty God? and specially they which boast themselves to be guides and captains unto other, and challenging unto themselves the knowledge of holy Scripture, yet will neither show the trueth themselves (as they be bound) neither suffer them that would: So that unto them may be said that which our saviour Christ said to the Pharisees, Math. 23. Woe be unto you Scribes and Pharisees, which shut up the kingdom of heaven before men, 2and neither will you enter in your selves, neither suffer them that would, to enter in. And they will as much as in them lieth, debar, not only the word of God, which David calleth a light to direct and show every man how to order his affections and lusts, according to the Commandments of God: but also by their subtle wiliness they instruct,3 move, and provoke, in a manner, all Kings in christendom to aid, succour, and help them in this their mischief: and especially in this your Realm, they have sore blinded your Liege people and Subjects with their Laws, Customs, Ceremonies, and Banbury Glosses, and punished them with Cursings, Excommunications, and other corruptions (corrections I would say) and now, at the last when they see that they cannot prevail against the open trueth (which the more is persecuted, the more it increaseth by their tyranny) they have made it Treason to your noble Grace to have the Scripture in English.
For what other thing is it to bee a Traytour vnto the trueth, then to be a Traytour and a Iudas vnto Christe, which is the very truth and cause of all trueth?